Speed regulating means for roll material



Jan. 3., 1961 T. F. ARONSON ETAL SPEED REGULATING MEANS FOR ROLL MATERIAL w MS N mw WAY 15 MA OD DY mm Om mF Y B l 6 7 a J d e l i F 1 a n i g i r o nited States SPEED REGULATING MEANS FOR ROLL MATERIAL Theodore F. Aronson, Glen Cove, and Floyd A. Lyon, Brookville, N.Y., assignors to Viewlex, Inc., Long Island City, N.Y., a corporation of New York Original application Jan. 6, 1958, Scr. No. 707,276. Divided and this application Oct. 1, 1958, Ser. No. 764,720,

2 Claims. (Cl. 242-75.5)

This application is a division of our prior copending' application SN 707,276 filed January 6, 1958 for Processor for Photographic Paper.

The photographic paper which may be processed by the present invention normally comes in rolls of about 250 feet in length and or 12 inches in width. Conventional apparatus generally comprises a paper magazine, a series of baths, namely developing, stopping, and fixing or stabilizing baths. Separate tanks are provided for each bath and all tanks are set in a large temperature controlled bath. Rollers are provided to guide the paper through the baths, and a heated drying drum is provided. Temperature controls are provided for the bath and the drum.

In the present invention in order to provide constant linear speed through the baths, a novel speed control logarithmic linkage is provided which changes the speed as the radial thickness of the takeup roller increases. Accordingly a principal object of the invention is to provide speed regulation means to provide constant linear surface speed of a roll of varying radius.

Another object of the invention is to provide new and improved roll material speed regulation means.

These and other objects of the invention will become apparent from the following specification and drawings, of which:

Figure 1 is a side view of the speed regulating means of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a plan schematic view of the speed regulating means of Fig. 1.

One of the primary problems in processing of this type is to maintain a constant linear speed for instance through the chemical baths. This is complicated by the factthat it is difficult to measure the speed, especially since the input and output rollers have variable radii and variable loads as the paper is wound from one to the other. In general the speed of the takeup roller 40 which supplies all the pull to the paper roll 40' is controlled through a variable seed mechanism which, in turn, is controlled by a re-set seed logarithmic dial, and a logarithmic linkage applies a correction proportionally to the thickness of the roll of paper on the takeup roller.

More specifically, referring to Figures 1 and 2, the power is supplied by a constant speed motor M through a variable speed transmission 39, the output shaft 42 of ate 7 2,967,025 Patented Jan. 3, 1961 which is connected by a chain 43, sprocket 44, and gears 44' and 49 to the output roller 40. The speed is set by moving an index 52 on inner dial 52 relative to an outer dial 50, which has a logarithmic scale calibrated in feet per minute, and clamping the dials together with knob K. The inner dial is rotatably mounted on a shaft 51 and is moved with respect to the outer dial 50 which is also pivotally mounted on the same shaft 51. The Correct Speed=Pre-set Speed Diameter Correction Factor.

The outer dial is pivotally connected to shaft 53 by means of a linkage arm F and a linkage arm E pivotally connected thereto and which is pivotally mounted to the frame on the shaft 53. Fixedly connected to the arm E is a pickup lever 54 which is spring loaded against the paper roll 40' on the takeup roller 40. Therefore, as the radius of the paper on the takeup roller increases, the pickup arm 54 is rotated clockwise about the axis of shaft 53, which motion is transmitted to the outer dial 50.

The members E, F, and dial portion G, which is shown by the dotted line across the outer dial 50, constitute a logarithmic linkage of the type described in Svoboda Patent No. 2,328,306. In other words, the dimensions of the respective members and dial portion are such that a rotational movement of the pickup arm 54 produces a rotation of the clamped dials which is the logarithm of the rotation of the pickup member. This logarithmic movement is added to the pre-set speed as set on the logarithmic scale on the outer dial 50.,

The anti-logarithm of the dial movement is applied to the control shaft 55 of the variable speed transmission by means of another logarithmic linkage comprising member A fixedly connected to the shaft 55, member B pivotally connected to the member A at one end and pivotally connected to the inner dial 52 at its other end. The third portion of the linkage is a part of the inner dial shown by the dotted line C. Therefore, the motion applied to the control shaft 55 of the variable speed transmission 39 is the product of the pre-set speed and the correction of the pickup 54. The operation of this type linkage is fully described in the above mentioned patent and rests upon the choosing of the length of the three linkage elements in a predetermined ratio so that the output movement is a logarithm of the input movement or vice versa. The present linkage system is an improvement over the alternate method of using cams which are complicated and expensive.

We claim:

1. Material handling means comprising a roll of sheet material of varying radius, means for regulating the surface linear speed of said roll of varying radius comprising a constant speed motor, a variable speed drive connected to the output of said motor and connected to rotatably drive said roll, said variable speed drive having an input control shaft, a first dial rotatably mounted and having a logarithmic scale thereon, a second dial rotatably mounted parallel to said first dial and having an indicating mark thereon adapted to register on said scale, means connected to clamp said dials together, a member rotatably mounted adapted to ride on the outside surface of said roll, logarithmic linkage means connecting said member and said first dial, and anti-logarithmic linkage means connecting said second dial and said control input shaft of said variable speed drive.

2. Material handling means for a roll of sheet material of varying radius, means for regulating the linear surface speed of said roll of varying radius mounted on a spool comprising a constant speed motor, a variable speed drive connected to the output of said motor and connected to drive said spool, said variable speed drive having an input control shaft, 21 first member rotatably mounted and having a logarithmic scale thereon, a second member rotatably mounted parallel to said first member and having an indicating mark thereon adapted to register on said scale, means connected to clamp said members together,

a third member rotatably mounted adapted to ride on 10 2,829,843

the outside surface of said roll, logarithmic linkage means connecting said third member and said first member, and anti-logarithmic linkage means connecting said second member and said control input shaft of said variable 5 speed drive.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Svoboda Aug. 31, 1943 Lahti Apr. 8, 1958 

